Circuit-breaker.



W. E. RICHARDS.

CIRCUIT BREAKER. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 5, 1910.

Patented Aug. 2, 1910.

-circuit breaker constructed in accordance UNTED srarns PA ET FFTC.

CIRCUIT-BREAKER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 2, 1910.

Application filed March 5, 1910. Serial No. 547,504.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VILLIAM E. RICHARDS, a citizen of the United Statesof America, residing at Portage, in the county of Cambria and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCircuit-Breakers, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in circuitbreakers, and relates particularly to that type of circuit breakerswhich are used in connection with the trolley lines in coal mines andthe like.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a circuit breaker ofextremely simple and durable construction, positive in its action, andunlikely to become damaged or get out of order easily in use.

The practical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a with myinvention, Fig. 2 is a central longi tudinal sectional view of the same,Fig. 3 is a top plan view thereof, Fig. 4 is a transverse verticalsectional view taken on the line H of Fig. 1, Fig. 5 is a similar viewtaken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1, Fig. 6 is a transverse verticalsectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 7 is a detachedperspective view of one of the contact blocks.

To put my invention into practice, I provide a suitable body 10 whichmay be of wood, or a suitable insulated material, as desired, and whichis substantially rectangular in form, being provided on its under face,intermediate the ends, with a cut away portion 11, and further providedon the under face, at the ends of the cut away portion with recesses 12.

Extending through the body 10, centrally thereof, is a bolt 14 having abifurcated or clevis-like lower end 15 which lies within the cut awayportion 11 and has the blade 16 pivotally-hung therein, said blade beingsubstantially angular in outline, and sub stantially wedgeshaped incross section. The bolt is provided with an annular shoulder orintermediate head 17 which fits against the body 10, and said boltcarries on its upper threaded end nuts 18, 19 by means of which onesection of the trolley wire as 20 may be securely fastened to the 1 bodyof the circuit breaker. The other section as 21 of the trolley wire isextended through the body of the circuit breaker, and the free endthereof bent over so as to secure the wire firmly to the circuitbreaker.

In the recesses 12 are mounted contact blocks 22, the lower faces ofwhich are grooved to receive the sections 20, 21 of the trolley wire,and the inner ends of which are provided with substantially wedge shapedrecesses 23, through which the sections 20, 21 of the trolley wireextend, and which recesses receive the arms of the knife or switch 16,the ends of the said arms being inclined so as to permit the said endscontacting throughout with the inclined portions of the wires 20, 21which lie within the recesses 23 and against the inclined inner walls ofsaid recesses. The contact blocks are suitably secured in position inthe body, as by providing the said blocks with flanges 24 which arefastened to the body 10 as by screws 25 or equivalent fastening means.

Obviously, a trolley traveling to the left as the device is shown in thedrawing will, when it strikes the free arm of the knife or switch, forcethe same upwardly into its recess 23 and into engagement with wire 21,so that the trolley will pass onto wire 21, the circuit breakerremaining set so that the trolley in its return travel throws theopposite arm into engagement with conductor wire 20.

It will be understood that any suitable hanging means desired may beattached to the body, and owing to the particular cross sectionalrecesses 23 which receive the ends thereof, the knife will normallyremain either in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or in the oppositeposition according to the direction in which it was last placed, untilsuch time as it is again actuated by a trolley to move it to the reverseposition.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a circuitbreaker, a body portion having its lower face cut away to provide anenlarged recess and further cut away to provide a pair of smallerrecesses opening at their inner ends into the enlarged recess, asuspension means arranged centrally of said body portion and extendingin said enlarged recess, a knife pivotally connected centrally thereofto said suspension means and formed with a pair of bladesangularly-disposed with respect to each other, a

contact block mounted in each of said smaller recesses and each havingits lower face at its inner portion grooved and its lower face at itsouter portion provided with a recess for the reception of a blade, aconducting Wire seated in the groove of each block, extending throughthe recess of its respective block and through the body portion to oneside of the enlarged recess, and means for connecting the suspensionmeans to the body portion and to one of said conducting Wires.

2. In a circuit breaker, a body portion having its lower face cut awayto provide an enlarged recess and further cut away to provide a pair ofsmaller recesses opening at their inner ends into the enlarged recess, asuspension means arranged centrally of said body portion and extendingin said enlarged recess, a knife pivotally connected centrally thereofto said suspension means and formed with a pair of bladesangularlydisposed With respect to each other, a contact block mounted ineach of said smaller recesses and each having its lower face at itsinner portion grooved and its lower face at its outer portion providedwith a recess for the reception of a blade, a conducting Wire seated inthe groove of each block, eX- tending through the recess of itsrespective block and through the body portion to one side of theenlarged recess, and means for connecting the suspension means to thebody portion and to one of said conducting Wires, each of said bladesbeing Wedge-shaped in cross-section and the recesses of said blocksbeing Wedge-shaped in contour.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of twoWitnesses.

VILLIAM E. RICHARDS.

W'itnesses NM. T. YEMLEY, DAVID J. Mch IoNIGAL.

